Donald Trump’s choice for Attorney General may indicate an administration hostile to encryption and online privacy. Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the incoming administration’s Attorney General pick, has long adopted a critical stance against encryption. He has stood in direct opposition to end-to-end encryption, citing his experience in law enforcement when calling for government officials to have complete access to encrypted devices. Earlier this year, Apple remained in a standoff with the FBI over allowing law enforcement agencies access to a locked device owned by a mass shooter in California, a move highly criticized by Sessions. Trump himself also opposed Apple’s stand while on the campaign trail, insisting that the company be boycotted. The selection of Sessions for Attorney General of the United States indicates that a Trump administration would be hostile to encryption, and would side with law enforcement agencies over tech companies when making legal and prosecutorial decisions. This gives privacy advocates cause for worry for the next four years. Downloads for Signal, Snowden-endorsed encrypted messenger, up post-election An upcoming Trump administration’s promised hostility towards encryption has not gone unnoticed by the nation at large. Following the results of the U.S. presidential election, Signal, the encrypted messaging app by …

There has been growing controversy over new cryptocurrency Zcash, since a tweet by Edward Snowden suggested that it will encourage tax protests. Snowden’s tweet was attached to a post by The New York Times, where Zcash was described as a “harder-to-trace virtual currency.” Snowden wrote in regard to the article: “Coincidentally, new technologies raise the possibility of unstoppable tax protests.” Selective disclosure Created by computer scientists at Johns Hopkins University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Zcash has been claimed to have secured $3 mln in backing from Silicon Valley venture capitalists, and its developers claim to have used advanced cryptography to create the virtual currency. Rather than coming forward as a privacy purposed entity with ulterior intentions, as has been interpreted from Snowden’s comment, the CEO of Zcash, Zooko Wilcox, describes the functionality of the cryptocurrency as “selective disclosure.” Wilcox says that this characteristic of Zcash makes it possible for businesses to conceal their private transaction details from competitors, thieves and foreign enemies, while simultaneously disclosing that information to their country’s tax authority. What Snowden really means However, Wilcox explains that he understands Snowden’s line of thought as it applies to other cryptocurrencies. “I can also see where Edward Snowden is …